STREET, CASHNER TRY TO FILL BIG HOLES ON MOUND

Padres hope they can replace Bell, Adams

For the better part of the past three seasons, Padres fans knew exactly what to expect late in close, winnable games.

Mike Adams would work the eighth. And Heath Bell would successfully close out the win 90.4 percent of the time.

But in two weeks, the Padres will open spring training without either of their dominating relief pitchers.

Adams, who had a 9-5 record with a 1.66 earned run average over 209 appearances as a Padre, was traded to the Texas Rangers last July 31 for pitching prospects Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.

Bell, before heading to Miami as a free agent two months ago, averaged 44 saves over the past three seasons with the Padres and was 27-19 with a 2.53 ERA and 134 saves in 354 appearances over five seasons in San Diego — the first two served primarily as the setup man to Trevor Hoffman.

Between them, Adams and Bell had 630 strikeouts in 591 innings as Padres while allowing 424 hits and 190 walks.

How do you replace Adams and Bell?

The Padres will try with Andrew Cashner as the eighth-inning setup man and Huston Street as the closer in 2012.

Street and Cashner have several things in common.

Both are former first-round draft picks — Street by the Oakland A’s in 2004 and Cashner of the Cubs in 2008. Both have a history of injuries. And neither has allowed a run at Petco Park over a combined 14 2/3 innings.

The Padres acquired the 28-year-old Street from the Colorado Rockies shortly after Bell signed with the Marlins. The Rockies were openly shopping Street and will pick up $1 million of his $7.5 million contract for 2012.

The Padres traded first base prospect Anthony Rizzo to the Cubs to get the 25-year-old Cashner.

During their recent orientation visit to San Diego and Petco Park, both Street and Cashner, as expected, said they were happy to be Padres. But there was also genuine excitement in both their voices.

“I’ll be the first to say Heath Bell is a tough act to follow,” said Street. “Heath is an All-Star. But I have to tell you, I’m excited. I’m eager to go. I think I’m coming to a team that’s ready to blossom. I’m really pumped.”

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said Cashner. “I love pitching here. Who doesn’t? And the chance to pitch here with the defense we have makes it all the better.”

Both Street and Cashner are coming to Petco Park after pitching in two hitter-friendly parks — Street at Coors Field in Denver and Cashner at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

“Some places are better than others and who wouldn’t love this place,” said Street, who has yet to give up an earned run in 11 1/3 innings at Petco Park.

Of course, he was pitching against the Padres in his nine previous appearances in San Diego, where he has allowed only five hits and three walks.

Street is not a Bell-like closer. Bell worked off his mid-90s fastball and was a physical horse, not spending any time on the disabled list during his three seasons as the Padres closer.